This invention relates to new and useful improvements in Jew's-Harps.
Jew's-Harps have long been known as a musical instrument and are becoming increasingly popular. These instruments if properly manufactured and tuned can produce a widened range of pleasant tones. Prior devices have been produced in mass and since they have no built-in means for adjusting the reed and frame relationship or the frame shape, the instrument must be distorted or bent by hand to accomplish such adjustment. This is a very expensive process of tuning for the manufacturer and thus to mass produce the harps and to make them inexpensive, they are supplied direct without adjustment. While still being able to produce acceptable tones they nevertheless are not of the high quality, predictable tone desired by some musicians.
Furthermore, when a Jew's-Harp is being played, the musician may accidentally flex the arms of the frame. One or both of the arms may thus interfere with the operation of the reed. In an attempt to overcome this problem prior devices have bridged the frame or arms together. The bridge construction in some prior devices, however, still allows some flexing of the arms and in others the bridging provides such a built-in rigid structure that there can be no appreciable variance in assembly.
Prior devices thus fail to produce an instrument that has a high quality, predictable tone but at the same time can be mass produced by machine.